New Head Man
Yang selected as leader of local Republican Party
The Saline County Republican Committee met Thursday and elected new officers for 2021-2022.
The committee elected Ken Yang as the new chairman of the SCRC.
“I am extremely honored to have been given this opportunity to lead our local Republican Party,” Yang said. “I look forward to building upon the great job that Chairman Steve Lux has done. My vision is to promote bold conservative Christian values, reaching out to our local communities and working with our local leaders and electing good Republican candidates.”
Yang is the first ever Asian-American elected as a Republican County Chairman in Arkansas. His term is for two years.
The rest of the slate of officers were also elected:
• First Vice Chair David Gibson, Sr.
• Second Vice Chair Jennifer Lancaster
• Third Vice Chair Drew Martin
• Treasurer Bill Godbold
• Secretary Abby Sims
• Building Manager JP David Gibson, Jr.
• State Committeeman Steve Lux
• State Committeewoman JP Tammy Schmidt
• Election Commissioners Lois Burks and Jamie Clemmer
Yang is a native of Benton and a first-generation immigrant of Taiwan. His father fled China in 1949 during the communist revolution and later, with Yang’s mother, immigrated to the United States in 1983. His family was owners of a Chinese restaurant in Arkansas and he was taught at an early age the value of hard work. It has allowed Yang to live and pursue the American Dream to this day.
Yang is a graduate of Benton High School where he took an internship at the Saline County prosecuting attorney’s office his senior year. He would later serve as the Saline County District Court case coordinator at the prosecutor’s office at the age of 20.
Yang went on to attend Hendrix College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and was presented with an Outstanding Leadership and Service award. He also was an academic honors athlete and lettered in NCAA III tennis.
Following college, Yang was offered the position of campaign manager for then State Representative Mark Martin’s campaign for Arkansas secretary of sate at the age of 21. In this capacity, Ken spearheaded volunteer organization, coalition outreach, fundraising and communications strategy for the campaign. He was also a key surrogate for Martin.
Yang’s efforts steered the campaign to an historic victory. Martin became the first Republican Secretary of State elected in Arkansas since Reconstruction.
During the 2012 election cycle, Yang joined Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign as a key member of the national field team with which he travelled to seven different states. Yang served as the state field director for Ohio and Alabama, staffing Speaker Gingrich and top surrogates and managing the field team.
Once the Republican primary season ended, Yang was hired on as part of the Romney Victory Field Staff in Ohio. His office consistently led the state in direct voter contact with phone calls made and doors knocked. This would later warrant visits to his office from Gov. Mitt Romney, Congressman Paul Ryan and Senator Marco Rubio.
After the 2012 election cycle, Yang returned to Arkansas and announced his candidacy for Arkansas State auditor. It was his first foray as a candidate for office, as he attempted to become the youngest state-wide office holder in the nation. Yang garnered national attention for his campaign and was invited to be a panelist at the National Republican Women’s Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Yang is the founder and president of American Dream Strategies, LLC, one of the top political consulting firms in Arkansas. American Dream Strategies went undefeated in the 2020 election cycle.